Bought and Paid for
by 10Pints
Summary: In the pre-Civil War South, Sookie bargains her life to save Jason's. Will Eric be her savior or her captor?
1. Hanging

EPOV

As I flew over a small village I heard shouting and saw the blaze of torches. Maybe I could find an easy meal. I landed and looked out from the shadows. A young blond man was standing under a tree, a noose looped over a large branch. It was the height of farming season, but even when every moment of day light counted to these country people, hangings were rarely held at night. Perhaps he was a very dangerous man. I listened as an elderly woman spoke to the man who appeared to be in charge.

"Andy, you know darn well that Jason didn't kill those women. Send everyone home and put a stop to this nonsense."

"Now, Mrs. Stackhouse I respect your opinion, but you love your grandson and that clouds your judgment. The last two women Jason has had relations with have been found dead the next day. What could be clearer?"

"What about all the other women he has slept with that are still alive?" shouted a young, blond woman. "Can I have a show of hands of the women here who have 'known' my brother?" She stood at the front of the crowd and glared at the villagers. A couple of women raised their hands tentatively, then more followed. Soon nearly every woman between the ages of 50 and 16 had her hand in the air. I could understand why the men wanted to hang him, and probably the scorned women too.

"Bullshit!" the man called Any bellowed. " What did you do to them Sookie to get them to raise their hands like that?" (I wondered if one of the women was his wife.)

"My brother may be a tom cat, but he isn't a murderer!" Sookie shouted.

"Maybe you aren't the only one in the family that is crazy, after all," Andy responded to her. She hung her head. At first I thought she was acknowledging defeat, but she was only gathering herself. Sookie raised her head to look at her grandmother, then squared her shoulders and head her head up high.

"I did it!" she shouted. "I killed Dawn and Maudette." All eyes fell on her; not a sound could be heard. (That is a lot for humans to accomplish – someone is always coughing or sniffling or fidgeting or whispering some nonsense.)

"Sookie Stackhouse, you are confessing to the murders of Dawn Green and Maudette Pickens?" Andy asked.

"Yes."

"You are aware than the penalty for murder is death and you will be hanged this night."

"Yes."

"Sookie?" Jason asked, shocked. "You killed them?" She nodded and everyone started shouting at once - everyone except the grandmother, a lone tear running down her cheek. She understood as I had, the brave young woman had lied to save her brother's life.


	2. Gold

SPOV

I closed my eyes as the rope went around my neck. Gran understood and that was all that mattered. Jason would be safe and she would have a home. Maybe someday he would even settle down and give her some babies to fuss over. Lord knows, I never would.

"Stop!" a man's voice called over the din of the crowd. Why do people get excited about a hanging? A tall, blond man-possibly the handsomest one I had ever laid eyes on- walked with purposed to the front. The crowd parted as he did so. "I would like to pay you for her life." Everyone gawked at him. Huh? He pulled a small pouch from his coat, opened the draw string, and pulled out a coin. The torch light glinted off the gold. "See for yourself." He tossed the bag to Andy. Andy looked in the bag, even biting a gold piece to check that is was real. I doubted anyone here in Bon Temps had ever seen that much gold at once. Mostly we bartered goods with each other or at the general store in Shreveport, trading produce and milk for cloth and other items we couldn't make ourselves. I had never seen that much gold in my whole life put together.

"Give each family a share of the gold, with any leftovers going to the girl's grandmother. I will take the girl with me."

"I can't sell her to you," Andy said, though he was considering it.

"You are going to kill her anyway, what does it matter to you?" asked the man. "I'm sure the good people of this village would not mind a little extra gold in their pockets." He looked around, inciting the crowd.

"She murdered two women."

"I will take her far from here, you need not be concerned with your safety." What was he up to? What about my safety? I reached out with my mind to listen to his thoughts and got nothing. Nothing. Some people were harder to read than others, but I had never encountered someone who was a complete blank before.

"She is crazy," Andy said.

"I very much doubt that," the stranger said, looking into my eyes. Shivers ran up and down my spine. He eyes were blue and cold as ice. He was not saving me out of the goodness of his heart. I began to think the noose would be a better choice. Then he turned his attention to Andy. "You will remove the noose from her neck and allow her to leave with me." Andy nodded and did just as he was told to do. Hmmm. Wouldn't that little trick come in handy? I reached out to Gran's familiar mind.

"I love you Sookie, my brave, foolish girl," she thought at me. "I will watch for you until you return."

The stranger, my savior, wiped a tear from my face and leaned in for a kiss. I braced myself for an onslaught of unwanted thoughts, but none came. His kiss started softly, and then deepened as his tongue parted my lips and began exploring my mouth. Oh my! I responded eagerly until the thoughts of the crowd became too much. He grinned down at me, then hoisted me over his shoulder like a bag of flour.

"Put me down!" I cried in surprise and kicked and hit at him.

"Calm down or you will wear yourself out," he chuckled. "There is much I intend to do with you before I let you sleep." I thrashed around a bit harder, but not for long. He was strong and I had had a long night already. I decided to relax until he set me down.

EPOV

I hadn't bought a woman for many years. Men were not as likely these days to part with their sisters or daughters for a bit of gold. The woman had stopped thrashing around, that was a good sign. I wondered how grateful she would be for her escape from the hangman's noose. I smirked. If that kiss was any indication, I would get my money's worth before I tired of her.

**A big thank you to all of you for filling up my inbox with reviews and story alerts! I'm planning to make frequent, short updates. My muse just seems to work that way. :) Thanks for reading!**


	3. Repayment

SPOV

We seemed to be moving very quickly through the woods. Where was he taking me? I cast out for thoughts and found nothing – no people nor empty spaces like my captor. Savior? Owner? I lost all sense of time, distance, or direction. I closed my eyes and prayed that whatever happened this night, I would be strong enough to endure it. Eventually the man stopped and set me upright in a small clearing. I stumbled a little as the blood rushed to my head. He put out a hand to guide me to sit on a tree stump.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Sookie," I replied.

"You may call me Eric. Why did you confess to murders you did not commit?"

"Jason did not kill those women any more than I did. If he had been hanged, Gran and I would not have had a place to live. We live on a farm and Jason makes a decent living farming. He is not very bright, but he is a hard worker. "

"You are young and strong, surely you could do enough of the work to survive?" Eric inquired.

I smiled sadly at him. I had noticed a slight accent – he had not lived here long, I could tell. "According to our laws, only men can own property. If Jason died our home and land would go to someone else. We have no one to take us in."

"You are a beautiful woman, surely there is a man who would marry you and take care of you. You would not be the first woman to marry to keep a roof over her head and food in her belly."

"No one would marry me. Perhaps someone would take Gran in out of kindness, but no one would take me on," I answered, ashamed.

"Are you truly crazy?" he asked.

"No."

"Are you a witch? A seer?" I shook my head. He was not far off. Did he really believe in witches and seers?

"I can hear people's thoughts." He looked at me.

"I have never met a telepath before. Can you hear my thoughts?" He didn't sound afraid or angry, merely curious.

"No. You're mind is a complete blank to me. I have never met anyone like you before." A slow smile spread across his face.

"I imagine you have not. You do not find your telepathy useful?" he asked.

"I am constantly bombarded by other's thoughts. I can't distinguish between what people are saying and what they are thinking. Everyone just thinks I am crazy." Eric looked at me from head to toe.

"You are a very desirable woman. I cannot believe there are not men who would overlook a little strangeness to get you in their bed." I blushed to the roots of my hair.

"I cannot stand to be touched. Touch amplifies people's thoughts; there is nothing romantic about a man thinking of bending you over a table and having his way with you. "

"You obviously have not been bent over a table by the right man," Eric answered with a smirk. "I had hoped you could earn back the money I paid for you," he continued seriously.

"I would be happy to work off my debt to you," I answered. How could I possibly hope to pay back all of that gold?

"Men would pay handsomely to get to 'know ' you," he said. I could only stare up at him. He wanted to sell my body? He had bought me to be his whore?

"Even if I wasn't telepathic, I would never agree to selling my body!" I responded, standing up.

"It would probably take you longer to earn your freedom, but men would also pay handsomely to put their cock in your mouth," he offered. Was he serious or was he just trying to get a rise out of me? The look on his face said he was serious. I felt like vomiting. "If you have never done that, I would be happy to give you lessons." He smirked and began to open his trousers. I turned and ran. His laughter followed me through the woods.

**Before anyone asks, no, I did not research 19th century property laws. I am writing a story about a telepath and a vampire - I used a little poetic license. :)**


	4. Prisoner

EPOV

I let her run for a little while. As much noise as she was making crashing through the undergrowth, I wouldn't have any trouble finding her. The look on her face when I started to undo my trousers was priceless. I chuckled to myself. I really had no intention of selling her favors to anyone else – she was mine and I didn't like to share. However, the threat would make her more likely to do as I asked. The possibilities for using a telepath were almost endless. I had gotten my money's worth tonight. I heard another crash and decided to retrieve her before she hurt herself.

SPOV

The moon was bright enough to allow me to avoid large trees and a good number of the saplings, but not all. Was every bramble in the parish in this small stretch of woods? I tripped over an outstretched root and fell to the ground face first. This wasn't the first time I fell, but this was the first time I found a boot resting on my back as I struggled to stand. Shit!

"Are you finished attacking tree limbs and briar bushes?" a now familiar voice asked. How did Eric catch up with me? He lifted his boot and I jumped up, throwing myself at him. I kicked and punched and scratched. He stood as still as a statue for a few moments, then wrapped a large hand around my neck and pushed me against a tree.

"Enough," he said forcefully, squeezing my neck slightly. All of the fight went out of me. He leaned closer and sniffed me. Sniffed me? "You are bleeding," he said and licked a scratch on my cheek.

"Ew!" I began struggling again, but he ignored me and used his other hand to hold out first my left arm and then my right to lick all of my scratches.

"Delicious," he purred. Suddenly he bared my neck and bit. Bit! He moaned and pressed against me. Despite my desperate fear, I found my body responding to him. Holy shit! He was going to kill me and my traitorous body was getting turned on. After a couple of pulls, he drew back and licked his lips. His fangs glistened in the moonlight. Fangs! I began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Sookie, you are not afraid," Eric said in a soothing voice, looking directly into my eyes. My brain began to tickle a little.

"Oh yes I am! You just bit me and drank my blood! And you have fangs!" My voice was starting to get a little screechy.

"I will not hurt you, " he said again in that same soothing voice.

"No! You are just going to make me a whore and teach me how to…" I couldn't even form the words. I debated about asking him to just bite me again and end it all. My mind was no longer functioning very well.

He threw me over his shoulder (again) and took to the air. I screamed like a banshee until we landed in the clearing again. He set me down and I took three steps backward.

"Are you going to run again?" Eric asked with a smirk.

"What are you?" I asked. No wonder he didn't think a telepath was a freak. He sat down on a tree stump and motioned for me to do the same. I just shook my head. He shrugged.

"I am a vampire," Eric said, like that explained everything. About a million questions crowded into my brain.

"Do all vampires fly?" Yes, that was the most pressing question. I sighed.

"No, it is a rare gift," he answered, smiling. "Any other questions?"

"Only about one hundred." I sighed again and tried to pull myself together. "Are you going to kill me? Will you turn me into a vampire? Where did your fangs go? How long have you been a vampire? Did you kill Dawn and Maudette? Why did you save me…" Eric held up a hand to stop my rambling, thank goodness.

His fangs popped out and I gasped a little. "I can will them to come down or to retract. They appear when I am hungry or angry or aroused." He leered at me for a moment. "I do not intend to kill you. I am very old and only need a little blood at a time. If I notice my feedings weaken you, I will find other sources. Feeding from you will not turn you into a vampire. I would have to drain you dry and replace your blood with mine to make you a vampire. We can discuss that in the future if that is something you want." He had an odd look on his face, like he was surprised.

"No, thank you," I answered. I was sure I didn't want to be a vampire. That was even stranger than being a telepath.

"Dawn is approaching," Eric said and looked to his right. I caught myself expecting to see Dawn Green walking through the woods, although she was dead. Huh?

"The sun will rise soon," Eric said. Oh. Long night. "I must take cover and rest while the sun is up. I have a temporary resting place near here. I have a safe place to put you."

"To put me? Are you locking me up somewhere?" I asked. I trembled a bit at that. He must have noticed.

"If you prove yourself trustworthy, I will not have to do so every night." He rose from the tree stump and held out his hand to me. I stood looking at him for a moment. I couldn't think of a single other thing to do, so I put my hand in his. Eric smiled and pulled me to him for a long, lingering kiss.

"Being locked up does not fill me with romantic feelings," I said pulling away. I tried to make my voice hard, but I am not sure I was successful.

"Perhaps you have not been restrained by the right vampire," he responded with a smirk, wrapping his arms around me and flying into the air. I hid my face in his chest and closed my eyes. Within moments we were landing. Eric, holding my hand, walked up to a large outcropping of rock covered in vines and disappeared into it. He tugged on my hand and I followed. To my surprise, the vines covered the entrance to a small cave (If he could fly, why not walk through solid rock?).

"We will find a more suitable shelter soon," he told me, almost as an apology. He picked me up, bridal style this time, and carried me deeper into the cave. Eventually we came to what felt like a large open space. He flew up into the cavern and landed on a large rock.

"This spot is relatively dry," Eric said. "You are on a rock ledge far from the cave floor. Be careful not to fall off. I will bring you a few provisions." With that he was gone.

I sat, pulled my knees up to my chin, and gave myself permission to cry. Tonight my brother had almost been hanged, I had offered to take his place and had nearly been hanged, I was sold to a stranger who turned out to be a vampire who could fly and drank my blood (who was considering turning me into a whore), and now I was alone in a dark cave. I bawled.

"Sookie? Are you hurt?" Eric's voice asked in the darkness.

"No," I answered wiping my face on my skirt. "Scared." He stroked my hair and licked the new tears that were rolling down my face. I tried to pull back from him. He kissed my forehead. "You have had a long night. Tomorrow night will be better."

"For who?" I asked, sullenly.

"Tonight I have found a brave, beautiful , delicious woman to share my nights with. And she turned out to be a telepath. I am not sure how tomorrow night could be better for me." I rolled my eyes at him in the darkness. "I have a few things for you."

He lit a lantern and handed it to me. The rock ledge I was standing on was about the size of the bedroom I shared with Gran. I could see the wall the ledge was attached to, otherwise all was darkness. The lantern light did not reach the floor, ceiling, or the other cave walls. I was truly trapped on the ledge. Eric spread some straw near the wall and lay a blanket down.

"This will have to do for tonight," he said. "I've brought you a bucket of water and some food."

"What is the other bucket for?" I asked.

"It was the closest I could come to a chamber pot." Oh. Great.

"Goodnight, my Sookie," Eric whispered to me. "I will see you at first dark." Then he was gone.


	5. Thieves

SPOV

I opened the sack Eric left and found a loaf of bread and a hunk of cheese. I would save that for tomorrow. I took a drink of water and splashed my face, then lay on the straw and pulled the blanket over me. It smelled strongly of horses, but I was too tired to care. I made sure I had supplies to relight the lantern, then blew it out and closed my eyes. I decided to sleep a few hours, and then see if I could find a way to escape.

Hours later, I opened my eyes in the darkness. I heard water running somewhere in the distance if I could get to it, maybe I could follow the stream to the cave opening. I lit the lantern and carefully stepped to the edge of the rock ledge, holding the lantern out. Darkness. I walked the perimeter of the ledge nothing but darkness. I gathered a handful of pebbles and dropped one over the edge. When I finally heard it land, well, I would never survive that far of a drop. I tried several more pebbles in other locations with the same result. I sat down on the straw and pulled my knees up to my chin. When Eric came for me (assuming he would come), I needed a plan.

EPOV

I awoke with a smile on my face. Sookie was waiting for me on her little rock shelf. I could smell her delicious scent and hear her heartbeat. She had survived the day at least; we would find more suitable shelter tonight.

"How was your day?" I asked, landing on the ledge.

"Dark," she responded quietly. "I don't want to spend my days in a cave. Please let me go."

"We will find a house tonight," I assured her. I stroked her hair and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

SPOV

Eric picked me up and flew down to the cave floor.

"What about the lantern?" I asked.

"We will leave it here just in case we need to come back another night," Eric answered. I shivered. I didn't think I would last many days without just a bit of sunlight and fresh air.

As we neared the entrance of the cave, I could see a bit of moonlight and smelled outdoors. I took a deep breath and filled my lungs. Once outside, Eric took to the air. We landed in a clearing near a small cabin. "We will find some fresh clothing and get cleaned up," Eric said. "Can you tell how many people are in the cabin?" I reached out for their thoughts.

"One man and one woman," I answered.

"I need you to go to the door and ask them to shelter you for the night," Eric explained. "Once you are in, I will come to the door and I need you to invite me in." I looked at him with a puzzled expression on my face.

"In order to enter a private home, I must first be invited. They will not hesitate to let in a small woman, but I may alarm them."

"Will you harm them?"

"No." I still hesitated. "Sookie, it is time for you to start earning your keep." I took a deep breath, made my way to the door, and knocked. Both were surprised to hear a knock without the approach of horses that came straight from their brains. The man slowly opened the door, but just barely. When he saw me, he relaxed and opened the door wider. Foolish man.

"What is a young woman like you doing alone out here at this time of night?" the man asked. I looked up and up at him. I was kind of wondering the same thing.

"My husband and I had a falling out and I just ran away," I said.

"Come inside," said the woman. "My, you look a fright." I wanted to tell her that running through the woods and spending the night in a cave would do that to a girl, but I held my tongue. "How long have you been stumbling through the woods?" As I stepped inside, I heard Eric clear his throat. I guessed that was my cue.

"Eric, you may come inside." In a flash, he was standing beside me and Mr. Tall and Brawny had his shot gun aimed at us both.

"I don't want any trouble," he said. "The two of you just need to head on down the road."

"Put the gun down and relax," Eric told him in a soothing voice. Despite the wife screeching like a tea kettle, he did as he was told. Eric caught her in his gaze next. "Bring me a set of your husband's clothes and yours, complete with undergarments." She walked towards the bedroom, I assumed to do just that.

"We can't take their clothes," I said. "I doubt she has more than three dresses." Eric looked at me like I was speaking in tongues.

"How does that concern us?" he asked. With a few more commands, we had a bathtub of warm water, towels, and soap. Last Eric told them to go to their bedroom and shut the door. He said they would not remember any of this in the morning. I sure wished I could get people to do what I wanted, just by telling them.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" I asked Eric.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Get people to do what you want."

He smiled a wicked smile. "Vampires use glamour to influence people; that isn't something I can teach you. However, with your pretty face and ample curves, I'll bet you could persuade a man to do almost anything. Then he started to remove his clothes.


	6. Bath

"What are you doing?" I asked, turning to face the wall.

"A gentleman would let you bathe first, but I have never claimed to be one." I huffed toward the wall and heard the water splash. "Will you help me wash my hair?" Eric asked. "Please, Sookie?"

I glared at the wall for a moment, then turned around slowly. I couldn't help but giggle a little. Somehow the bath had looked much larger without Eric in it. His legs and arms were dangling out the sides. "I would ask you to join me," Eric said, " but I am not sure where I would put you." He gave me a genuine smile that lit up his eyes. I smiled back at him.

"The man of the house must not bathe in this," I said with a grin.

"He did smell rather bad," Eric replied, making a face. I hadn't noticed. I had thought he was rather handsome, in a rough sort of way. "Sookie, my hair please?"

"Am I earning my keep this way?" I asked.

"I can think of more amusing ways." If I had thought I was strong enough to push his head under and drown him, I would have tried. Instead, I found a pitcher and had him scoot up a few inches in the tiny tub. I poured water over his golden locks, so very similar to my own. Then I lathered his hair good and rinsed. "Will you wash the rest of me?" Eric asked.

"I think you can manage," I answered and stomped away to face the wall again. In a short while I heard him rise from the water.

"All yours," he said. I turned around and got an eyeful. Eric was standing near the tub in all his naked glory, drying his hair with a towel. Oh my! When my eyes finally reached his, Eric's were full of mischief.

"Do you like what you see?"

"Are you planning to get dressed anytime soon?" I asked, training my eyes on his face.

"I intended to , but if you can give me a reason to postpone getting dressed, I might be persuaded." I rolled my eyes at him as he wrapped the towel around his waist. Then he watched me.

"What?" I asked, becoming self conscious. What was he expecting me to do, throw myself at him?

"Are you going to bathe with your clothing on? Are you waiting for me to help you undress?" Eric asked, taking a step closer. Quickly, I moved a chair from the table to face the wall.

"Sit on this chair while I undress and get in the tub," I said. He obediently walked to the chair, then sat on it astride, facing me. I studiously did not look at the gap in his towel. "That is not what I had mind and you know it," I said, getting exasperated. "You really need to step outside."

" I will not go outside," Eric responded stubbornly. "I will behave." With that he turned to face the wall. Very quickly I stripped out of my clothing and settled into the tub. I had enough room to put my legs inside and pull my knees up to my chest. "Would you like help with your hair?" Eric asked.

"No funny business?"

"No funny business, unless you request it," Eric answered smoothly. Dream on buddy! Suddenly he was behind me, running his fingers through my hair. "Are you bringing these sticks and bits of straw along with you for a reason?" he asked, laughter in his voice. He gently poured water over my hair, then soaped up his hands. He massaged my scalp masterfully. I relaxed and closed my eyes. I may have moaned. "And I am only touching your hair," he whispered in my ear. That snapped me out of it.

"Can you rinse and be done?" He did, then ran a finger down my spine.

"Would you like me to wash your back?" he whispered huskily into my ear.

"No thank you," I answered, my voice sounding rough to my ears.

"Only a matter of time, my Sookie," he whispered again and tilted my head to one side. He chose that moment to sink his fangs into my neck. After a few pulls he licked my wounds. "Do you have any idea how badly I want you?" Eric asked before walking to the chair to retrieve his clothes. I finished my bath with shaky hands.


	7. Bertha

EPOV

What a stubborn woman! She continued to resist me even though her body longed for my touch. I thought surely the bath or seeing me naked would do the trick. I rarely had anything to do with women of her caliber – why work so hard when others would throw themselves at me? How frustrating. I was going to have to earn her trust and her regard. Keeping her on a ledge in a cave had not made her feel loved and cherished, to say the least (although I thought the straw and horse blanket were nice touches). Time to find a house. Last night I was distracted by a beautiful, fiery woman. Tonight my little telepath could assist me.

SPOV

I glanced to make sure Eric was facing the wall, then hurriedly toweled off and dressed. The dress was a little large, but it would do. "Is it safe to look?" Eric asked.

"Yes, " I responded. He was tiring to say the least. When he stood, I noticed his clothing fit fairly well.

"How did you get so lucky as to find a home with a man as tall as you?"

Eric smiled at me. "Not luck Sookie. I am always on the lookout for tall men to steal pants and shirts from." I wasn't quite sure if he was serious or not. "Usually I do not resort to sleeping in caves and stealing peasant clothing, but I left Europe in a bit of a hurry and then I spent all of my savings on a pretty girl." His eyes twinkled at the last bit.

"Ready to go?" he asked. My stomach chose that moment to growl. "I'll be back in a moment, see if you can revive the fire," he said and went outside. A few minutes later he returned with a freshly skinned and gutted squirrel. I took it from him and put it on the spit over the hearth. I could have done a neater job dressing it, but I was thankful for the food.

"It has been a while since I provided food to a human," Eric said, his eyes suddenly looking ancient.

"I appreciate it," I said. Soon my supper was cooked and I picked every bone clean. Eric smiled down at me.

"Now, are you ready?" I nodded. Once outside, we took to the air. Soon we reached what appeared to be a very large village. "Welcome to Shreveport," Eric said, setting me down behind a two story brick home. I noticed a single light burning in the kitchen. "Can you hear the thoughts of those inside?"

"It is a woman, but she isn't thinking in English."

"What language?" Eric asked. How should I know?

"Not English, but I can see some pictures in her mind. She is thinking about sitting back with her feet up – Ew! She is thinking about her bunions."

"Sookie, focus."

"She is going to relax until the owners come back in the fall."

"The house is owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Mabry. They are back East for the summer."

"How do you know?" I asked him. Who was the telepath here, anyway?

"I've had my eye on this house for a few nights." I blinked at him. "I like warm baths and clean clothes as much as the next person," Eric said. "Actually, more than most of you Americans." I rolled my eyes at him.

"What is the plan?"

"We could lure the housekeeper outside and kill her."

"You've got to have something better than that!"

"I do, but I will need your help."

We waited until the housekeeper – Thalia – was asleep. I happened to hear one of the neighboring servants thinking about her. That particular maid was terrified of Thalia. When I told Eric that Thalia was frightening, he laughed at me. "Sookie, you are scared of an old woman? If nothing else, you could out run her. Last night you faced a crowd of angry villagers and the hangman's noose. Tonight you are squeamish about bunions and frightened of an old woman?" I just glared at him.

Eric pried open a second story window and pushed me inside. "Eric, you may come in," I invited. He began opening drawers and searching around. "What are you looking for?"

"I want something with Mr. or Mrs. Mabry's handwriting on it." Luckily we appeared to be in Mr. Mabry's study. "Why aren't you looking?" Eric asked.

"I can't see in the dark."

"Can you see well enough to find your way to the hall?"

"Yes."

"Go, light this candle, and find us a room for the night." Us a room? Next door was a large bedroom complete with a four poster bed. I discovered some sheets and blankets in the closet and began making the bed.

"Can you read?" Eric asked as he walked into the room.

"Yes."

"Good, that will make things easier. This is a note written by Mr. Mabry. Here is my letter to Thalia. What do you think?"

_Madame Stephropholis:_

_Miss Bertha Bingham was recommended to us by Mr. and Mrs. Davis of Dallas. She will keep you company and help with the upkeep of the house until our return. Our banker will pay her directly._

_ Sincerely Yours,_

_ Mr. John Mabry_

"You mimicked his handwriting? I assume I am Bertha – I really think Katherine or Elizabeth would be better."

"I am not rewriting the letter because you object to the name."

"Do you think this will work? What if Thalia catches us up here tonight?" I asked, worried.

"Thalia doesn't hear well and she is no threat to us if she does. I will wake you shortly before dawn and help you sneak out. If this doesn't work – well, she will send you away and we will make another plan.

"Can you teach me how to forge people's handwriting?" I asked. Eric smirked.

"I mistook you for a law abiding girl," he teased. Actually, Eric seemed a little proud.

"With a noose around my neck?" I asked.

"Well, there was that…" he said, winking at me.

"Now what?"

"Now you sleep and I will look around for anything useful."

"You have no moral objections to stealing?" I asked.

"None whatsoever."

After Eric left the room, I hung my dress over the back of a chair and crawled into bed. I tossed and turned for a while.

"Sookie," Eric whispered from my bedside, "I will listen for Thalia. You can relax and get some sleep." And I did.


	8. Pain

EPOV

I could tell by the old woman's heartbeat that she was asleep. I rummaged through closets, drawers, and trunks. Finding a safe, I helped myself to half of the contents. I found several nice dresses for Sookie – she could wear them once we moved on. Unfortunately for me, Mr. Mabry was much shorter and plumper than I – I would have Sookie purchase some new clothes for me.

I sat on the corner of the bed and watched Sookie sleep. Making up my mind, I pulled off my clothing and curled my body around her soft, warm form. We were a good team, Sookie and I.

SPOV

"Sookie," Eric whispered, shaking me gently. "Dawn is almost here. I will help you outside." Rubbing my eyes, I blinked at him. I dressed groggily and put the room back to rights. Eric crawled out the window and I followed. He set me down at the front gate and put an apple in my hand. Breakfast?

"Do you have the letter?" he asked, handing me a small suitcase. I looked at him.

"You would come here with no suitcase? I found this one under some blankets in the attic. I doubt Thalia will recognize it. Wait until you see smoke from the chimney and go around to the kitchen and knock. This evening I will find you." Eric kissed my forehead before walking briskly away.

I followed his empty mind around the back of the house , then under it. Interesting – so few houses in Louisiana had cellars because of the high water table. Eric had chosen our house carefully.

Nearly an hour later, I noticed movement in the house. I walked around to the kitchen and knocked per Eric's instructions. I 'heard' Thalia, but she wasn't thinking in English – Eric told me she was Greek. Her thoughts had a harsh, pessimistic feel to them. I stood for a while before she opened the door.

"What do you need this early in the morning?" she asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mabry hired me to help out," I said, handing her the letter. She opened it roughly and read it quickly. She gave me a sharp look. "Can you work hard, girl?" she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Humph," was all she said and opened the door for me to enter. "The maids' rooms are up the stairs here, all the way to the top. You should find a uniform and some shoes in a closet. (She frowned at my rough, leather shoes.) Do you know how to tell time, girl?"

"Yes."

"Be back in 15 minutes. I'll be watching the clock."

"Yes, Ma'am." She was scary. Apparently the maids' quarters were in the attic. Even at this time in the morning, the rooms were warm. I opened as many windows as possible and selected the room with the best breeze. Inside the closet I found a number of uniforms – black dresses with white aprons- everything starched and crisp. I selected one that fit fairly well and chose a pair of black shoes from the bottom of the closet. I put a cap on my head and started for the stairs. When I passed the hall clock, I still had two minutes to spare.

"Stand still and let me look at you," Thalia commanded. She looked me over from head to toe. "I expect you to look this neat at all times. " I nodded. "I think we'll start beating curtains today. There is a ladder in the shed out back, go fetch it and bring it to the front parlor."

I managed to find the ladder and maneuver it into the house. Listening for Thalia, I found the front parlor. Much to my surprise (well, maybe not) she was sitting on a sofa with her feet up on a low table. Thalia glanced up from the book she was reading and began barking orders. I was in for a long day.

EPOV

When I rose I listened for heart beats in the house. Sookie and the house keeper both seemed to be in the kitchen. I went in search of a poker game – one of my favorite ways to make a little money. After relieving my opponents of some cash, I decided to call it a night. I was anxious to see how Sookie's day went- that was very uncharacteristic of me. I told myself it was her blood and telepathy that interested me. I found her in an attic room, lying in a narrow bed. I knocked on her opened window- out of courtesy.

She turned to look at the window and groaned. "Come in Eric."

"Are you unhappy to see me?" I asked, my voice a little sharper than I intended. Wincing, she sat up. "Sookie, are you hurt?" If someone hurt her, they would answer to me.

"I spent the entire day taking down heavy curtains, beating curtains, hanging curtains…"

"What did Thalia do?"

"Give orders and sit around resting her bunions." Her voice held enough resentment for three people. "I also made dinner and supper and washed out my uniform." Thalia and I would have a little heart to heart later.

"My blood will relieve your aches," I offered.

SPOV

Drink blood! Every muscle in my body ached, and yet….

"No, thank you."

"Sookie, I do not make you this offer lightly. Vampire's rarely share their blood with humans."

"I appreciate the gesture, but I'll pass all the same." He didn't seem very happy with me. I shifted and pain shot down my back.

"Stubborn woman. At least lie down and let me rub your back." I groaned and did as directed. When Eric squeezed my shoulder, I almost came out of my skin. He lightened his touch after that.

EPOV

Her skin was so warm through her thin nightgown. I massaged the overworked muscles in her shoulders, neck, arms, and back. She moaned and groaned with pleasure as I became familiar with her body. I rubbed the small of her back, then ventured a little lower. The swell of her bottom felt good in my hands.

"Eric!"

"Yes?" I asked, pretending not to understand so I could continue you kneading her firm cheeks.

"Stop! This was supposed to be a back rub," Sookie said, a little panic in her voice.

"Surely, the soreness in your muscles does not stop at your waist," I said, my hands moving to her thighs and all the way down her shapely legs. This was going even better than expected. Maybe I wouldn't be too harsh with Thalia, after all. Sookie turned over slowly and glared at me as I massage her feet.

"Shall I rub your front as well?"

SPOV

Lord, the things this man (vampire) could do with his hands! I wanted to be angry at him, but he found _that_ spot on my big toe and I moaned aloud (again).

"Eric!" I wasn't quite sure if I was asking him to stop or begging for more.

"Sookie," Eric whispered, his eyes glowing with desire. "I want to touch and taste every inch of you."


	9. Ingesting

EPOV

I moved up Sookie's body very slowly, giving her time to react.

"Eric," she said in a tone that sounded hesitant. I gently kissed her forehead, eyelids, and the tip of her nose. She smiled up at me. I ran my hand along her jaw and found her lips with mine. As we kissed, I sliced my tongue with a fang and allowed a small amount of my blood to flow into her mouth. This would relax her muscles enough so we could enjoy each other. And her desire would increase. And I could track her if I needed to. There was only one immediate drawback –once Sookie realized what was going on, she wasn't pleased. At all.

SPOV

Eric was bleeding into my mouth! He was on top of me in my bed, kissing me and bleeding into my mouth! Thankfully, Eric let me go when I pushed at him frantically. Faster than I thought I was capable of, I was cowering against the headboard. "What are you doing to me?"

"Is it not obvious?" Eric asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I know I told you I didn't want to drink your blood. Why is your blood in my mouth?"

"Before having sex with you tonight, I needed to relieve the pain in your muscles," he answered.

"Don't you think you should have asked me first?" I didn't think Eric was used to asking for anyone's permission. He frowned at me and stood up, running his fingers through his hair.

"Sookie, do you have any idea how patient I have been?"

"Really? Did I make you spend a day on a shelf in a dark cave or steal clothing from poor farmers? Did I ask you to take a job where you were in danger of being worked to death? Have you been frightened out of your mind almost constantly for the last two nights?" Yes, Eric was the one who should be complaining about me!

"Would you have rather had your grandmother watch you swing at the end of a rope?" Shit. I hung my head.

"What will your blood do to me?" I asked, slowly meeting his eyes.

"Your muscles will no longer be sore, you will be faster and stronger for a little while – until the effects wear off."

"So I can beat draperies again tomorrow?" I asked in disgust.

"You need to establish yourself as the Mabry's maid in the eyes of the townspeople – buy things on their account, be seen with Thalia… Once you have people's trust we can get rid of the housekeeper."

"You can't kill her!" I nearly shouted. She was a mean old woman, but she didn't deserve to die.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Eric asked. What?

"No!"

"After the way she treated you today, I will be happy to snap her neck." A chill ran down my spine. And to think I had nearly invited Eric to my bed tonight. "If you have an alternate plan, I would be happy to hear it." It just so happened that I did. I had had a whole day of drapery cleaning to think about how to get rid of Thalia.

**I know this is a tease, in more than one way. If Sookie falls into bed so soon, what is there to look forward to? :) I promise to update soon! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Plans

EPOV

As much as I hated to admit it, Sookie did have a pretty good plan. With a few additions on my part, our life was about to get much easier. I found Thalia, woke her, and used my glamour to lesson Sookie's work load. Now I was sitting at the end of Sookie's bed watching her sleep. Feeling admiration for a human was something new to me. Just this had made my journey across the ocean worthwhile.

SPOV

When I woke the next morning, I expected my muscles to protest as I rolled out of bed – but I felt well rested and full of energy. I guess Eric's blood really was helpful, but I wondered if there were side effects he wasn't telling me about. Probably. I almost bounded down the stairs to the kitchen, then decided I should act a little stiff – I didn't want to spend another day beating draperies if I could help it.

"Bertha," Thalia said as I entered, "breakfast is on the stove." Thalia was cooking for me today? I loaded my plate with sausage and biscuits and gravy.

"What are we doing today?" I asked, almost with dread.

"We will visit the shops today. Once I introduce you to the storekeepers, you will be able to do all of the marketing on your own. " And we did. All of our purchases were put on the Mabrys' account and delivered to the house. If not for my maid's uniform, I would have felt like a lady about town. Step one of our plan (thanks to Eric's glamour) was a success. Being around all those people and their noisy brains was exhausting, but I did hear quite a few interesting thoughts about Thalia. None of them were complimentary.

Arriving home, Thalia made lunch and informed me she had work in her room to take care of. Before long I noticed the brain pattern of someone who was asleep. I took deliveries all afternoon.

The rest of the week Thalia cooked and I cleaned, but nothing like that first horrible day. I dusted furniture, mopped floors, and even washed the windows. I needed to work off my nervous energy as I waited for my plans to unfold. Eric stopped by each evening for a sip of blood and a few hands of poker. He was of the opinion that a telepathic poker player could make us a lot of money. I wasn't too keen on using my curse to swindle folks out of their hard earned money. Eric said anyone who joined in a poker game was asking to be robbed. Regardless, teaching me poker seemed to keep Eric from trying to seduce me (well, mostly) and that was a relief. We played for pennies, supplied by Eric. Each night I lost eventually, but I kept playing longer as the evenings went by. When I ran out of money, he was always happy to point out that he would play for kisses or backrubs or hair washing… I would just roll my eyes at him. We talked as we played. I would never admit it aloud, but I found I enjoyed Eric's company very much. He was smart and funny and told marvelous stories. Whether they were all true or not, I couldn't say, but they were entertaining. (Surely he had not really helped Martin Luther reduce his list of theses from 200 to 95.)

At the same time, I did a little planning of my own. One day on the way to the butcher shop, I checked on steamboat schedules. I could go down the Red River to the Mississippi and then either go south to New Orleans or north as far as Minnesota. I decided if I could work a deal with Eric to let me keep a portion of our poker winnings, I would agree to play for him. Once I'd saved up enough money, I'd hop a steamship one day while he rested and never look back. A wealthy woman traveling alone would be much safer than a poor woman. Finding a reliable man to hire to pretend to be my brother even crossed my mind. I would bide my time. I figured the longer I stayed with Eric, the more he would relax his guard.

EPOV

My new plan to win Sookie was going well. She wasn't really much of a poker player, but focusing on the cards instead of me helped her to relax. I turned on all my charm, telling her tales of my adventures -minus a great deal of blood and sex . I really hated to edit out all my favorite parts, but a good storyteller must play to his audience. Sookie was a good listener and her laugher was marvelous. When I visited I often felt fondness and something that was very much like happiness. I hadn't detected any other vampires in Shreveport, thank God. Others of my kind would have a great deal of fun teasing me about befriending my food.

SPOV

At the end of the week Thalia received a letter from Mrs. Mabry. Mrs. Mabry wrote that her cousin, James Bodehouse, would be arriving within the week and taking up residence at the Shreveport house. A cleaning frenzy soon broke out.


	11. Measurement

SPOV

"Will you order some clothing for me from the tailor tomorrow?" Eric asked one evening.

"Yes," I answered. " Do you know your measurements?" He shook his head. "Let me get my measuring tape," I responded and went in search of my sewing basket. When I returned to my room, Eric was standing near my bed, completely naked.

"What are you doing?" I asked, working hard to keep my gaze on his face.

"You have seen all of me before. Won't this be the most accurate way to measure?" I was pretty sure Gran didn't measure my Grandaddy this way.

"At least put your underpants on!" He did, slowly.

"These are the measurements my tailor in Paris takes," Eric said, handing me a slip of paper. I stood on a stool to measure his neck, shoulders, and the length of his arms… How I admired his well developed muscles! I tried to touch his flesh as little as possible.

"Are you afraid to touch me?" Eric asked. "I assure you, I don't mind your hands on me." His eyes twinkled with mischief. Measuring his inseam was a bit nerve wracking, but I did my best to appear professional. I have to admit I especially enjoyed running the tape across his amazing backside to measure his hips.

"What does this one say?" I asked, squinting at the last measurement on the list. I swore it said penis.

"Is that a word you are unfamiliar with, Sookie? I would be happy to give you an education," Eric answered with a smirk.

"I am not measuring your penis! Get dressed and get out of my room!" I shouted, rolling up my measuring my tape. "Do you really want new clothes, or was this just a ploy to get me to admire your body?"

"You admire my body?" he asked.

"Out! Get out!" I yelled, handing him his clothes and pushing him towards the window.

"Sookie," Eric soothed. "I wish to talk with you before I leave." I turned my back as he slipped his clothes on. "Would you like to have a few dresses made? Recently, I have relieved several steamboat riders of their money playing poker."

"Maids don't have dresses made," I answered.

"Use whatever is left after paying for my clothes to purchase material for new dresses," he said, handing me a small bag of coins.

"Thank you," I said. I would like to have something to wear besides my uniforms and one ill fitting dress. "Eric, I've been thinking about playing poker." He arched an eyebrow. "If I agree to use my telepathy to help you, I would like 50% of our winnings."

"50%! Now, Sookie. As you can see (he jingled the bag of coins), I do pretty well on my own. Your help won't double my earnings. I'll give you 10% of our earnings."

"30%"

"20% is my final offer," Eric said firmly. I pretended to mull it over, but I was secretly happy with 20%. I nodded my agreement. "We'll need to practice our signals."

"Signals?" I asked.

"Yes. Come sit on my lap," Eric answered as he pulled out a chair.

"Why would I sit on your lap?" Eric grinned at me.

"Women don't play poker, Sookie. Girls at the poker table are for entertainment purposes."

"What are you saying? That I sit on your lap during the game and pretend to be your plaything?" I asked with disgust.

Eric nodded. He was being very still and quiet. "I won't be your whore, Eric," I said firmly.

"I'm not asking you to be, Sookie," he answered. "We just need others to believe you are."

"I don't like this at all," I told him.

"Think about it," he said, kissing my forehead. "We would be unstoppable." He walked to the window, wished me goodnight, and flew out of sight.

EPOV

How I enjoyed pushing Sookie's buttons. I could have just given her my measurements, but having her take them was so much fun. Her soft, warm hands on my skin – I had to fight hard to keep my fangs from dropping. I was a little surprised Sookie brought up playing poker. What did she want the money for? I would be happy to provide her with anything she needed. Would she want the money badly enough to pretend to be my 'plaything'? Oh, I sincerely hoped so.

SPOV

I took Eric's measurements to the tailor the next morning and ordered shirts, pants, undergarments, socks, and a new pair of shoes.

"He sent you all these measurements?" the clerk asked me.

"I was told that tailors in Paris ask for all of these," I answered shrugging.

"Humpf! He's just as likely to be from Paris, Tennessee as the one in France." I couldn't help but laugh. "All this on Mr. Mabry's account?"

"No, I'll pay today." I would be relieved to hand over the money – all the way to the store I worried someone would attack me and run off with the coins. After paying for Eric's things, I had more than enough for new material for myself.

I chose two fabrics at the general store – one blue and one yellow. I also bought myself a penny candy. I smiled all the way home thinking about the extra money I would hide in my room for my steamboat ticket.


	12. Arrival

James Bodehouse arrived on the doorstep one Tuesday evening with a steamer trunk. I smirked a little as he introduced himself to Thalia and I. I had suggested the name to Eric. Jane Bodehouse was the Bon Temps town drunk – she was often seen staggering down the street in the middle of the afternoon with her hat askew and whiskey on her breath. My gran always said she should be pitied instead of ridiculed. Regardless, naming Eric after her – that was what he got for calling me Bertha.

"Do you have a manservant to help me with my luggage?" Eric asked.

"I assumed you would bring your own," Thalia answered.

"Bertha, will you give me a hand with this trunk?" he asked me. I nodded. Each of us took a handle and carried it up the main staircase to his room.

"Are you going to welcome me properly?" Eric asked with a grin.

"Welcome to the Mabry House, Mr. James Bodehouse. I hope you have a pleasant stay," I responded and walked toward the door swaying my hips. Eric was in front of me so suddenly, I bumped right into him. That was probably his intention. He wrapped his arms around me and bent down to lick my neck.

"Will you come to my chamber later and help me get settled into my new bed?" he whispered in my ear. A shiver ran down my spine. He licked my neck once more and bit down. How much longer could I resist this man? "We are going to have lots of fun," he promised.

"I can't wait to be your maid," I deadpanned. Eric gave me an odd look.

"I suppose when we move on you could pose as my wife. Would you prefer that?" Move on? The only place I wanted to move to was far away from him.

"Will we leave soon?" I asked. If so, I wanted to make my escape before then. Who knew if our next residence would have such easy access to river boat transportation.

"We will have to leave before the Mabry's come back," Eric said. "We have a month of easy living here, maybe two." How had I forgotten about them coming back? I would have to take part in Eric's poker scheme if I wanted to have enough money to run away. Ugh!

Thalia was standing at the foot of the stairs waiting for me when I left Eric's room. Her mouth was drawn in a thin line. Great.

"Let me give you some advice, girl," she said. "He might be pretty and say nice things, but he won't marry the likes of you. Before you know it he will have moved on and you will be left with a broken heart and a babe in your belly." She hastily turned and walked toward the kitchen. I just looked after her, then I caught her thoughts. I saw a young Thalia, catching a man she clearly loved with another. Then I saw her sometime later, holding a dying baby in her arms. My heart ached for her. I took a deep breath. Her advice was good – I wouldn't get pregnant from a vampire, but I would most likely be left alone with a broken heart. I decided right then and there I was leaving in three weeks time.


	13. Cover

EPOV

Because the Mabry's were wealthy, word of my arrival in town spread quickly. How wonderful to be in a country with such a large, mobile population. In Europe the only truly wealthy were members of the aristocracy. Being rich was advantageous in and of itself, but not having to work for a living was a great cover for a vampire. I could carouse and gamble all night, then sleep all day without raising too much suspicion. Decades ago, I would arrive as a Barron or Duke from some unknown corner of Prussia, Finland, England….anyplace a blond man might hale from. These days, unknown corners were few and far between. I actually had to pretend to be real aristocrats. That had precipitated my hasty retreat from France – the real Count Khilkoff had arrived from Russia and accused me of being a fraud. Unfortunately for me, he arrived with the Marquis de Saint-Simon in tow, who verified his claim. Here in America anyone could be wealthy and gamble their life away – I loved democracy!

When I first arrived in Shreveport, I joined in poker games in seedy places near the docks. Most of the players were drifters or the sort of people who knew it was dangerous to remember too much about a man. The anonymity was good, but the stakes were not that high. As Mrs. Mabry's brother, I would be invited to the nicest homes and welcomed at tables with high stakes (well, for American standards). I soon began receiving invitations from the wealthiest families. I pretended to eat, smoke, drink brandy…I regaled people with my tales of Europe and flirted openly with the ladies when they were present. I regretted putting Sookie in the role of a maid, I would have enjoyed her company. Which reminded me…

SPOV

Eric rang the bell again. What could he want now? Tomorrow, when he was sleeping, I was removing the bell pull from his room.

"Yes, sir?" I asked at the door, polite as you please. Eric was dressed in a crisp new white shirt and black pants. The tailor had done a very nice job.

"See something you like?"Eric asked, smirking and motioning me inside.

"I hope you didn't call me all the way up here to admire your clothing."

"Is that what you were admiring?" he asked, shaking his rear end at me. I couldn't help but laugh at him. "Tonight I am going to a dinner party. While I am there, I hope to wrangle an invitation to a poker game later in the week. I would like you to go to the game with me."

"So I can sit on your lap and help you cheat at cards?"

"You make it sound so crass. I would like you to assist me with a money making venture." I really needed the money if I was going to get away from Eric.

"What do I need to do?" I asked. Eric grinned and sat in a straight backed chair. "Sit on my lap and we will work out some signals, for now we will stick to bluffing or not bluffing. " I huffed a piece of hair from my face and sat gingerly on his lap. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close, my body tucked into his left side and my feet dangling off the right. He ran his left hand down my arm and placed his other on my knee.

"Won't you need to hold your cards with that hand?" I asked, motioning to the one on my knee, my voice a little high. Sitting like this was making me very uncomfortable.

"Sookie, you must relax. No one will believe you are with me if you sit so stiffly." When I turned to face him and respond, he captured my mouth with a spine tingling, toe curling kiss. I think I might have lost a little time. Eventually when I pulled back, gasping for air, I noticed my hands were tangled in his hair and I was sitting astride him. "Breathe through your nose," Eric commanded and found my mouth again. He ran his hands up and down my arms, down my back, and kneaded my bottom with his large hands. I moaned into his mouth. Eric broke the kiss and looked at me with hooded, lust filled eyes. Slowly, his hands found their way to the buttons on the front of my maid's uniform and opened the first one. He waited a moment, then undid the second. I chewed on my lower lip. Was I really going to do this? Was I going to give myself to this man whom I didn't love and would never marry?

"What makes you uncertain?"Eric asked.

"I was raised to believe a woman should wait for her husband," I answered honestly.

"Surely a man would overlook the telepathy, consorting with vampires, and confessing to murder. However, marrying a woman who had bedded another man is too much to ask," Eric responded with a look. "Sometimes you Christians are unfathomable."

"So I am unmarriageable anyway? I'm damaged goods whether I am chaste or not?" I shot up off his lap and stomped to the opposite side of the room.

"I did not mean to injure your feelings."

"Humph!"

"You are mine. Having sex with me will not make you dirty or promiscuous," Eric said softly, walking towards me.

"You paid for me with a bag of gold and now I am yours to do with as you wish?"

"I feed from you, I have shared my blood with you, you know what I am, we take care of each other, you are under my protection – the bag of gold is of no consequence." He was close enough now to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "You care for me," he said softly.

"Do you care for me?" I asked. I needed to say something – I found myself getting lost in his blue eyes.


	14. Dress

EPOV

That went spectacularly to shit. When she asked if I cared for her, I found I couldn't lie.

"Caring for a human is very dangerous to a vampire," I answered warily.

"Excuse me if that doesn't warm the cockles of my heart!" Sookie said bitterly, buttoning her uniform and walking out of my room. Shit! How did we go so quickly from feasting on each other's mouths to Sookie walking out on me? I wanted her so badly my fangs ached. I could have had her tonight if I hadn't given her time to think. The problem was, I didn't just want her for one night. I knew one night wouldn't be nearly enough.

SPOV

I sat on my bed with my head in my hands and cried. Then I just gave in and lay on my bed and bawled. I cried because I missed my Gran, I was nervous about running away all by myself, and Eric didn't love me. After I had cried myself out, I got up, splashed water on my face and tried to think about what I really needed to do.

EPOV

How could one tiny woman hold so many emotions? If I had lied, both of us would have been much happier, at least in the short term. Just when I decided to go to Sookie's room and offer comfort – hopefully skin to skin- I felt her resolve. Interesting. I would wait for her to come to me. Sooner than I expected it, I heard a soft knock on my door.

"Yes?" I asked. Sookie stood in the hall. Her eyes were still puffy from crying, but I could see steel in them. She was brave for a human (or foolish). She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Do you still want me to accompany you to the poker game?" I nodded. "Let's practice, but there will be no sex tonight, so don't even try." I really had to fight to keep the laughter from showing on my face.

She sat on my lap, so soft and warm and inviting. We decided that Sookie tapping her foot on my leg would be the sign for bluffing. Her dress would cover the movement, plus there was the table. I touched her gently on the cheek, the arm, her neck. (I had explained to Sookie, that in order to convince people she was my 'entertainment' for the night, she would have to let me touch her. I did enjoy touching her.) Now I just needed the invitation.

SPOV

I had planned for 'James' to fire Thalia shortly after he arrived. Now that I knew she had no friends and no family, well, I was hard pressed to turn out an old lady- no matter how mean she was. Mostly I did my work and tried to stay out of her way. It was tolerable for a few more weeks.

Tonight was the dress rehearsal for our big poker game. Dress rehearsal? Were all vampires so dramatic? When I walked into Eric's room, a blue gown was laying across his bed. I picked it up and smelled it.

"It is clean," Eric said, his voice hard. "I'll turn, let me know if you need assistance." I would have been happier with him outside the door, but at least he volunteered to turn his back. "Be sure to put the undergarments of first." I glared daggers at his back. Did he think I would put them on the outside of my dress?

I looked at the under garments in despair – corset, garters,stockings, tiny panties made almost entirely of lace. I wouldn't be able to lace the corset by myself. Panties, garters, stockings, panties, and my own bloomers. I didn't want Eric to see me in my knickers, but they covered a whole lot more than anything he had given me. I held the corset in place.

"Eric?"

"Yes?"

"Can you lace up my corset?" He turned around with a wolfish grin, then saw my bloomers.

"You can't wear those to the poker game."

"You aren't seeing me in nothing but scraps of lace."

"Soon Sookie, very soon." I just ignored him. He laced up my corset and stepped away. He held the dress for me and helped me pull it over my head, then buttoned five buttons up the back.

"Eric, I can't wear this in public."

"The blue matches your eyes."

The beautiful royal blue silk hung to my ankles, except on the left side, where the material was pulled up above my knee. The dress had no sleeves. A row of lace and gathers at each shoulder held up the dress. The back was bare to the top of my corset and the front – my large bosoms weren't going to fall out, but just.

"This is a very special dress, Sookie."

"Oh yeah?" Forgive me for being skeptical. He reached into the folds of the material to reveal a small hidden pocket. Then another and another...

"When playing poker, it is not always a good idea to display all you have won in front of your opponents," Eric explained, eyes twinkling.

"I am going to stuff some of your winnings in my dress?"

"I'll pass the coins to you. You can conceal them."

"My dress will weigh a ton! What if it falls down?"

"You say that as if it would be a bad thing," Eric answered smirking. "Now, falling in the river..." I rolled my eyes at him.

"I still don't like this dress," I said, crossing my arms. That put my bosoms more on display, great.

"Sit," Eric commanded and pulled me on his lap. "Relax." The side of my dress rode up enough that my garter showed. Great.

"You aren't the one nearly naked!"

"I can be if that will make you more comfortable."

"That will not make me more comfortable!" I nearly shrieked. Eric chuckled.

"You are playing a role, Sookie," he said, looking into my cleavage.

"Eric!"

"I may not need your telepathy at all," Eric said with a grin. "Your breasts may distract everyone so much…" I slapped him. Then I thought better of slapping a vampire. Too late.

"Sookie, that will not make your life easier," Eric warned and left it at that. "Let's work on our signals." The signals were easy, but relaxing while he stroked my bare back, collar bone, the swell of my breast.

"Eric, stop."

"Could a man have you on his lap like this and not touch them?" Why did I agree to this again? Ah yes, money. I would get 20% of our earning to add to my independence fund. Didn't that have a nice ring to it? I closed my eyes and tried to relax as his fingers glided over the exposed cleavage. "You are so beautiful," he whispered in my ear.

I wriggled away from him and stood. "I think that is enough rehearsal. Will you help me out of these clothes?"

"With pleasure," Eric grinned. I rolled my eyes at him.


	15. Game

SPOV

I managed to make it out of the room with my virtue and a little of my dignity intact.

The next night Eric helped me back into my 'costume'. He put a little paint on my cheeks and lips.

"Perfect," Eric whispered.

"What will my name be?"

"Sookie."

"What if there is someone there that knows me or my family. Shreveport is not that far from Bon Temps," I said, turning a little pale.

"Then they can report back to your Gran that you are alive and well fed."

"Eric," I huffed.

"Sookie, I bought you with a bag of gold. No one would be surprised that you are earning your keep in this manner. Most of them would be surprised if you weren't." I just stared at him. "I have a present for you," he said, handing me a small package. I opened it slowly and pulled out a scarf.

"I thought you might be chilled in the night air," Eric said. "You can take it off once we are inside." I pulled it around me, managing to cover up all my exposed skin. At least I didn't have to walk around town with my cleavage hanging out.

"Thank you," I said sincerely. Eric smiled and took my hand.

He knocked three times and we were allowed in the backdoor of an inn and led up a narrow flight of stairs. I absently wondered how many drunks fell down the stairs on the way home. The large room upstairs was filled with smoke. Men sat at tables, loud and boisterous. Women dressed even more scandalously than I walked around the room, flirting and sitting on men's laps. Some had nothing on but their corsets and panties. I felt a very strong urge to run.

"Relax, Sookie," Eric whispered. "I will keep you safe." I looked up into his blue eyes and saw the sincerity there. I held his hand tightly, trying to block all the thoughts – sex, sex, sex.

A small man walked up to us. "This way, Mr. Bodehouse." Even in the middle of all this, that name made my lip twitch into a half smile.

"I will find out what is funny about my name one of these days," Eric said with a teasing grin. We followed the man to a door in the back of the room. How big was this place, anyway? We went up another flight of stairs into a room dominated by one large table.

"Welcome, James," Dr. Mike Spencer (doctor/undertaker) said. Dr. Spencer at a place like this! "I see you have brought your own girl along. She sure is a pretty thing." My skin began to crawl. Eric squeezed my hand gently.

"Are you ready to give me your money?" Eric teased. Someone offered him a chair and he roughly pulled me on his lap. I may have squealed a little. Eric laughed loudly.

"There are so many thoughts, Eric," I whispered. "I don't know if I have enough control."

"Relax for a while and look pretty," he whispered back and kissed my neck. How wrong was it that I wanted him to bite me, even in a room full of people?

Eric's poker playing was impressive. He didn't win every game, just the ones that paid off the most. When others weren't looking, he would pull coins off the table at vampire speed and I would tuck them away in the folds of my dress. He laughed, told stories, and made jokes. Everyone at the table was eating out of his hand. I didn't feel bad at all about almost succumbing to his charms – he could charm a whole room with seemingly little effort. By the end of the night my dress was loaded down with money and Eric had a bag full as well. And yet, no one seemed to notice that we had taken most of their money. We walked out the door and into a stand of trees. Eric wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear, " Is anyone near?" I shook my head, then we took off through the sky. "We don't want to meet anyone on the way home when we are loaded down with money."


	16. Last Night

SPOV

Eric managed to get us invited to a number of gaming halls in Shreveport. Who knew so many existed? Twenty percent of our earnings would easily pay my steamboat passage. By night I played the strumpet and sat on Eric's lap, admiring his cleverness and cunning. By day I made plans to escape him – it would be harder than I originally thought.

Each afternoon when Thalia lay down for her nap, I worked extra hard. I searched the attics for items to aid in my journey. I found a widow's black dress, hat, and veil. I raised the hem and added numerous pockets – my 'costumes' had inspired me. This was the outfit I would wear for my departure. I found a few more dresses-long forgotten- that I took in, let out, and remade. I dragged an old trunk to the shed out back and oiled the hinges, polished and scrubbed. I used material from old petticoats to reline the inside, adding secret compartments.

I asked Thalia if she knew of any places in the house designed to hold valuables. I knew Eric had to stash his money somewhere. Of course, she didn't tell me directly , but I could see her thoughts. While Eric slept, I searched all of the places, finding a great deal of money. I would raid them before I left. One day I even dared to go below the house, to Eric's resting place. To my surprise, it was a wine cellar. I didn't find any wine or money, just Eric lying motionless behind a false wall. I sat near him for awhile and stroked his hair. Leaving him would be difficult.

EPOV

When I arose I could smell Sookie in my day chamber. She was no longerhere, but she had been. Keeping information from a telepath was a challenge. Did I trust her not to harm me or send others to do so- absolutely. Sookie was an amazing woman. I found myself seeking out more poker games so I could spend the evening looking down her dress and holding her on my lap. She was brave and very clever. And she was up to something – I would find out what it was.

SPOV

Everything was in place. My trunk was packed and waiting for me at the steamboat office. My bag was shoved under Eric's bed. Widow Baker had a passage booked to St. Louis. One more night at the tables, then come morning I would empty Eric's hidey holes and take my place on a steam boat down the Red River. I put on my 'costume' and met Eric at the back door.

"How are you tonight, Sookie?"Eric asked.

"A bit tired, Thalia had me cleaning out attics today." That was true. He placed a finger under my chin and raised my face, to gaze into my eyes. He tenderly placed his lips on mine, then drew back.

"Shall we?"

Eric and I did well at the tables. We were getting up to leave when I saw someone I recognized. "I'll be right back," I whispered to Eric and walked across the room.

"Tara?" My childhood friend was standing behind a gray haired vampire.

"Sookie? Sookie!" She grabbed me in a hug and pulled me close.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Franklin likes to come in once in a while. Who are you with?" Just then Eric came into our line of sight and recognition dawned on Tara. "Does he treat you well?"

"I can't complain. Franklin?"

"He is buying me my own carriage." Oh. I took a good look at her. Her outfit didn't say floozy as loudly as mine did, and yet…

"Tara, do you know what you are getting yourself into?"

"Sookie, I have been taking care of myself for years," she responded sharply. Eric caught my eye. He was giving me the 'let's get the hell out of here' look.

"Tara, if you see Gran, will you tell her I am ok?"

"Yes," she answered and I began to walk away.

"Sook! They found out who was killing those women – Renee Lanier. Someone killed him while he was chasing down Amy Burley, the cord to strangle her still in his hands. You can go back home anytime you want." I smiled, but I knew I could never really go home again.

"A friend of yours?" Eric asked when I joined him near the door.

"We grew up together. The real murderer in Bon Temps was found."

"Really?" Eric asked with a slight grin.

"What do you know about that?" I asked.

"About what?" Hmmmm.

When we arrived home, Eric took me by the hand and led me to his room. As I began to pull money from my dress he stopped me. "Keep it this time." I just looked at him. "I have yet to see you spend any of your money. If what you are saving for is so important, you may keep more for yourself tonight."

"Thank you." I was grateful, but also suspicious.

"Sookie, why are you so nervous tonight?" I looked into his eyes. I knew I would not be able to keep my tension from him. I stroked his cheek and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"I want to share your bed tonight," I whispered.

"You are sure?"

"Absolutely," I responded and I was. I didn't want to leave him without knowing the pleasures of his embrace.

Eric cupped the back of my head with his hand and returned the kiss, with interest. His tongue explored mine and every crevice of my mouth. I was gasping for air when he finally pulled back. "Breathe through your nose," he said with a grin and began devouring me again. Soon our clothing was in a heap on the floor and I was on my back on Eric's bed, having every square inch of my body stroked by his hands and mouth. My moans of pleasure filled the room. Slowly, he moved up my body and he placed himself at my entrance. A gentle hand glided between my legs.

"Ready?" Eric asked. All I could do was nod. He entered me slowly and carefully. I winced and then I felt nothing but pleasure. The feeling grew and grew until I was sure I would explode. Eric bit and I saw stars - beautiful, amazing stars. He wrapped me in his arms as I melted into him. Eric stroked my hair and whispered gentle words in another language.

I had been a little afraid he would gloat about finally getting me in bed, but there was none of that – just gentle caresses and tender words. Not even after the second round or the third. "Drink from me, Sookie," Eric whispered near dawn.

"Why?"

"Because it feels good." I found I could deny him nothing. As I bit his shoulder, he sunk his fangs in my neck. We fed off each other, and my body spasmed with pleasure once again.

"I must go , Sookie," he said, crawling out of bed. Then he kissed me once more. I tangled my fingers in his hair and held on for dear life. Eventually he pulled himself away. "Good night,my Sookie."

"Good bye, Eric."


	17. Escape

SPOV

As soon as Eric left, I washed and dressed in my maid's uniform. I pulled my bag out from under the bed and collected the money from Eric's hiding places. I walked briskly to The Steamboat Inn, where I had rented a room and hung my widow's disguise. I changed quickly and boarded my steamboat. Goodbye Shreveport and Eric Northman.

A porter led me to my stateroom. The room was just large enough for the bed and a small table and chair, but it was clean. After my trunk was delivered, I locked the door, placed the chair against the handle, and lay down for a nap. Staying up all night with Eric was catching up with me. I drifted off, remembering the way his hands and mouth felt on my skin.

I woke hours later feeling refreshed. I splashed water on my face from a basin and took a moment to listen for the people surrounding me. Once I was satisfied that no one would be interrupting me, I opened my bag of loot and tucked the contents away in all of my hiding places. Then I put on my hat and veil and made my way to the dining saloon for some lunch.

I sat down at an empty table and ordered a sandwich and a glass of sweet tea.

"May I join you?" I deep voice rumbled. I looked up to see a large, broad shouldered man with wild, black hair. "Alcide Herveaux," he said, extending his hand.

"Jane Baker," I responded, shaking it and motioning toward the empty seat across from me. His thoughts were kind of red and snarly, but I felt friendliness and curiosity from him. ( I had encountered people with similar brain patterns before. When I spoke to Eric about it, he looked thoughtful, but didn't offer any explanation.)

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said.

"Thank you," I responded. "I am going to stay with my sister in St. Louis. Have you been there before?"

As it turns out he had. Alcide's sister and her family had settled in St. Louis. He talked about his nephew and taking in the sights of the city. I couldn't remember the last time I had a regular conversation with an ordinary person. He offered to take a stroll on the deck with me, but I turned him down. Alcide walked me back to my stateroom and promised to stop by to walk me on shore when we docked for the night.

I spent the rest of the day in my stateroom alternating between reading a book I had lifted from the Mabry's library and worrying about Eric finding me.

EPOV

I woke still smelling of Sookie. I just knew there was a goofy grin plastered on my face, but I didn't care. Sex with Sookie had exceeded all my expectations, and that was saying something. Her body was so beautiful and she was so responsive to my touch. Oh, the things I intended to do with that woman. I wondered how she felt about naked Hide and Seek. How I would enjoy hunting her.

SPOV

Shortly before night fall, we docked at Alexandria. One day behind us, nine more to go until reaching St. Louis. Carriages arrived to convey passengers to an inn. Alcide and I shared a carriage. Then we shared a nice conversation over dinner – I told him about growing up living with my Gran.

"Alcide," I said, a little embarrassed as he stopped outside my room.

"Yes, Jane?"

"You understand I am in mourning? I don't want you to think…"

"Jane, I am enjoying spending my time talking with a nice woman. I'm fine with that. My fiancée recently called off our engagement, so I'm not ready for anything quite yet either."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too. Good night, Jane."

"Goodnight, Alcide." A nice, handsome man who wasn't continually trying to get inside my knickers - how refreshing!

EPOV

I noticed the floorboard where I hid my money last night was slightly raised. Surely I hadn't been that careless. I looked inside – nothing! I quickly searched all of my other hiding places. Nearly all of them were empty. I sniffed. Yes, each looted space smelled slightly of Sookie.

Thalia had no idea where Sookie was – she hadn't seen her all day and her room was bare. I inquired at the steamship office about young women booking steamboat passages. Two names stood out when I looked at the list – Bertha House and Stookie Stackhouse. Hmmm. Why would she book two unless one was a false lead? What if both were false leads? I had to give her credit for at least trying to deceive me. Now I was doubly glad she had taken more of my blood last night. How far should I let her run before retrieving her?


	18. St Louis

SPOV

I had never been any further from home than Shreveport. We began our trip East along the Red River, then connected to the much larger Mississippi. In some ports we saw as many as 50 steamboats docked for the night. Most, like mine- the Anne Everson- carried cabin passengers in state rooms and deck passengers, who remained on the lower deck along with the cargo of livestock, cotton, furs, bear grease… Once I saw a steam boat loaded with cotton bales stacked seven bales high! I had never seen so many boats or people in my life. Each night we would disembark, go to an inn, and stay the night. At dawn each morning we would board and continue our journey North.

Alcide was good company. He told me about his surveying job and the ex-fiance Debbie who left him for another man. I told him my husband was run over by a carriage, but when I described my fictional husband, I was really talking about Eric. Every night I was on edge, afraid he would come knocking at the window of my rented room.

We passed forests and acres of farmland. For the most part, the weather was fine and warm. After a few days I stopped declining Alicide's offer to walk on the deck. We spent a good portion of our days outside. Every now and then he would look at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention and I would feel a guilty sadness from him.

Finally the day arrived for us to dock in St. Louis. It was the busiest port we had encountered, second only to New York, I was told. Our boat was one of 150 in the harbor that day. The riverfront bustled with people, livestock, street cars, and factories. Railroads delivered and received cargo. Any number of languages -especially German- could be heard as immigrants moved West and North.

"Well, we're here," Alcide said, taking my arm.

"Yes." Free! I wasn't quite sure where I would go, but I could easily become anonymous in this throng of people. I had enough money to find a small home and support myself for a while. I sighed with happiness. Then I noticed a man holding a sign that said 'Jane Baker'. Shit! Alcide noticed my reaction. I felt guilt, lots of guilt coming from him. "What aren't you telling me?" I asked. Alcide took a deep breath and ran a hand through his unruly mane of hair.

"I'll explain during the carriage ride," he said, leading me toward the man with the sign.

"No, explain now." I wasn't going anywhere with anyone.

"Since my mom died, my dad has been spending most of his evenings gambling. He racked up a large debt with a man named James Bodehouse." Oh no. "James contacted me and said he would forgive my father's debt if I would protect his girlfriend on her steamboat journey to St. Louis." Shit. "I didn't know you were running away from him and I didn't expect to like you."

"You thought I would be some floozy." Alcide nodded.

"How did a nice woman like you end up with a man like that?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"He saved me from a hangman's noose by bribing the local townsfolk with a bag of gold." He blinked at me.

"Explain, please." And I did. I might not live long enough to share my story with anyone else. In the spirit of full disclosure, I even told him about my telepathy. Which led to me explaining about his red, snarly brain that was hard to read.

"Is your name really Jane Baker?"

"Sookie Stackhouse."

"That suits you. Do you know what James is?" Alcide asked and I nodded.

"Yes, and his real name is Eric. What happens now?"

"I'm not sure. My job was to see you safely to his house in St. Louis."

"He has a house in St. Louis?" I asked and Alcide shrugged.

"Have you had his blood?"

"Yes." Why was that important?

"We can't run from him then; he will be able to track you anywhere." Crap! I wish I had known that sooner! "I take it you didn't know that." I shook my head. "Maybe we can work out some sort of deal with him to pay back the money he bought you with."

"I also stole his stash of gambling winnings."

"Really?" Alcide looked a little impressed. "Let me talk to him and see if I can work something out." I shook my head.

"I appreciate it, but I can't let you take on my problems. I ran away and stole from him – I will have to accept the consequences."

"I'm truly sorry for my role in this, Sookie."

"I know," I said, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "If I had met you at a different time.." Alcide place his forehead against mine.

"Me too," he whispered.

I took a deep breath and stood. "Shall we?" We walked arm and arm toward 'my' carriage driver. Time to face an angry vampire.


	19. Reprecussions

EPOV

I arose in my new home with a smile on my face. Sookie was near, I could feel her. I also felt her fear – good.

SPOV

The carriage drove west, through the bustle of St. Louis. Alcide and I passed row upon row of small brick homes. Full dark was upon us now. Eventually we stopped outside a large, two story home at the edge of the city. Our driver opened the door to the carriage and Alcide helped me down. He offered me his arm to walk inside, but I declined. I didn't think seeing me on another man's arm would improve Eric's mood. Our driver opened the house door and ushered us in. "The first room on the right," he said.

"Thank you," I said automatically. My hands were shaking. I took a deep breath to steady myself. I needed to have my wits about me when I encountered Eric.

I preceded Alcide into the well lit house and turned right into a large study/library. Books covered the walls from floor to ceiling. Eric stood in front of a large desk.

"Welcome to St. Louis," he said, his face a blank mask. "Sookie, did you have a safe journey?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Thank you Alcide," Eric said, nodding to him. "Your father's dept is cleared. My driver will take you anywhere in the city that you choose."

Alcide looked at me. "What will happen to Sookie?"

"Has she charmed you as well?" Eric asked, wearing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He looked between us. "Has she bedded you as well?"

"Eric!" I gasped.

"She is a lady," Alcide growled. He really wanted to punch Eric – I could see it in his head.

"How many ladies do you know that spend an entire night in their lover's arms, then leave the next day with all of his money?" My face turned bright red.

Alcide's mouth twitched like he wanted to smile. "I have no doubt she is a lady. If you treated her like one, perhaps she wouldn't run away." Yes, that would help Eric be reasonable.

"Leave while you can still walk," Eric responded. Again, Alcide looked to me and hesitated.

"Can I buy her freedom?"Alcide asked. What?

"No." Now Eric's mouth was a very thin line.

"Good bye, Sookie," Alcide said, raising my hand to his lips for a kiss. "_I will come back for you tomorrow,"_ he thought at me. With that Alcide left the room and the house.

"Will the driver really take him somewhere safely?" I asked Eric.

"Yes. I have no quarrel with Alcide." He gave me a look.

"Your quarrel is with me," I said. Eric nodded.

"You can have your money back. So far I have only spent my winnings."

"I don't care about the money," Eric growled, stepping closer. "You were very foolish to take off alone."

"I didn't know you could track me."

"I see Alcide has loose lips," Eric said with a frown.

"How long have you known?"

"Two weeks ago I told the butcher's son I suspected you were stealing from me. I paid him a few coins to follow you during the day and report back."

"The same butcher's son, Tom, that I paid to book my stateroom for Jane Baker?" I asked miserably. Eric nodded. And I thought I had been so smart.

"Booking two staterooms under your known aliases and one under yet another name was clever," Eric said with a smile, almost like he was proud of me. "How did you find my money?"

"I asked Thalia if she knew of any secret hiding places. She didn't tell me, but I could see them in her mind."

"Luckily I had a few I she didn't know about," Eric said, gesturing to the house in general.

"You bought this?"

"Yes. I figured if living in St. Louis was so important to you, I would give it a try." I stared at him. "I have been telling people that my wife was closing up our house in Shreveport and that I expected her to join me shortly."

"Wife?" I asked. Eric shrugged.

"I have made a few investments. I met with Eberhard Anheuser last night to discuss putting money into his brewery." I just nodded.

"So, we are going to build a life here in St. Louis, just like that?"

"The King of Missouri resides here, and he has given me permission to live in St. Louis."

"King of Missouri? What are you talking about?" I asked. This conversation was getting stranger and stranger.

"I can explain about kings and queens another night."

"Are you angry with me?"

"Yes."

Eric walked over to the bookshelf and pulled back on one of the books. The whole shelf slid sideways and revealed a opening large enough to walk through. He grabbed an oil lamp from the desk and held it out to me. "Can I trust you not to burn the house down around us?" he asked.

"Yes." My voice may have trembled a little.

"Follow me." I hesitated. "Sookie you can walk or I can carry you, it is your choice." I hoped I would have the choice to walk back up the stairs on my own also. I followed Eric down a long, twisting flight of stone steps. As we descended further, the walls became stone as well. Eric had bought a house with a dungeon? !

Eric stopped at the bottom and waited for me to catch up. When he looked at me, his eyes were cold and his face was a completely impassive. I had no idea what was going on inside of his head. Would he chain me up and whip me? Would he use some sort of medieval torture device on me? Would he lock me up and throw away the key?

"Is this the dungeon?" I asked. I thought I heard Eric chuckle, but my ears must have been playing tricks on me.

"The real estate agent called it a wine cellar. I find it suits my purposes very well."

What did I say to that? Does it fit his vampire, sleeping all day in the dark purposes? Or does it suit his imprison and torture Sookie purposes? Or both? He stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, pulled a large set of keys off a high nail, and unlocked the door.

"Ladies, first," Eric said, and motioned me inside. My feet were rooted to the floor. I felt tears prickle at the corners of my eyes. "Sookie." I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and prayed I would be strong enough to face whatever was inside.

**I did a little research into steam boat travel and St. Louis in the mid 19th century. For those non-St. Louisans out there - Eberhard Anheuser bought his first brewery around this time and was later joined by Adolphus Busch, who became his son-in-law. Thus the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company began. I even drank a Bud Light as I was writing this. :) Thanks for reading and for all of your great reviews!  
**


	20. Dungeon

SPOV

I walked into a sparsely furnished bedroom. Not exactly what I was expecting.

"This will be your room," Eric said.

"For how long?" I asked, trying to control the tremor in my voice.

"As long as it takes." Wasn't he Mr. Chatty tonight? "Give me your hands." I hesitated, then decided he would just grab them if I resisted. I was no match for him physically. I placed my hands in his outstretched palms. Eric closed his hands over mine and massaged them gently. Would he suddenly tighten his grip and crush all of my fingers?

"You are a thief, Sookie. If I looked through your belongings, I am sure I would find a number of items taken from the Mabry home. Not the mention the money you stole from me."

I nodded, I couldn't deny it. Although, wasn't that a case of the pot calling the kettle black? "In some cultures, a thief is punished with the removal of a hand. Which hand would you like me to chop off, Sookie? It is your choice."

Was he serious? I swallowed, trying to fight off the panic. Closing my eyes, I tried to think of one sensible thing to say. "If we continue to move from place to place, word of a one handed woman will get around. My deformity weaken our ability to blend in," happened to pop out of my mouth. I surprised myself with my own cleverness.

Eric smiled as he regarded me. "True, a one handed woman would be conspicuous." He paused, still stroking my hands. "Other reasons to keep both hands come to mind," Eric smirked. "Do you know what a hand job is, Sookie? One of your small hands would not do a very adequate job."

I yanked my hands from Eric's and glared at him. If he thought he was getting a hand job tonight, he had another thing coming. "I suppose leaving you down here will have to be punishment enough."

"How long?" I asked again. Eric reached out to stroke my cheek and I backed away. His eyes slowly looked me up and down, clouding with lust.

"When you ask to return to my bed," Eric answered. I glared at him. "On second thought, I will make you beg, just a little." As much as I wanted to roll my eyes at him, I controlled myself. I didn't want him to have a third thought.

"You should have everything you need – food, water, even a real chamber pot this time." Great. This was an improvement over the shelf on the cave wall, but I was still trapped. "I would love to stay and hear all about your riverboat trip, but I have business to attend to. I will see you tomorrow night, Sookie."

"I'll be here," I responded. Eric left, locking the door behind him.

EPOV

When Sookie arrived tonight, what I really wanted to do was hold her in my arms and thank all the gods that she was safe. If Alcide had failed to protect her I would have killed him- after he watched me torture and kill everyone he cared about. I ran a hand through my hair. Would Alcide come back during the day and try to rescue Sookie? Just in case, I would take the necessary precautions.

I sat back in my chair and rested my feet on my desk. Sookie. She really had left me after a night of sex – and took my money! When she asked to spend the night in my bed, I was sure my love making would convince her to abandon her plans to leave – or at least postpone them. Women always wanted another night – ALWAYS. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. What was this woman doing to me?

SPOV

I found a long, soft night gown and a pair of very serviceable underwear on the bed. No tiny scraps on lace! At least one thing had gone my way today. Yeah me! I lay on my back on top of the covers with my hands folded behind my head. I closed my eyes and cast out for thoughts to listen to. All I found was Eric's empty space, above me and slightly to the left. Good to know. With my shields still down, I got up and paced the room, looking for any obvious ways of escape. Then I chose the wall farthest from the door and starting from the bottom right corner, touched every stone as high as I could reach. Then I stood on a chair to touch the rest. No secret passages, not even a loose stone. I sighed, blew out the lamp, and crawled into bed. Maybe a brilliant idea would come to me in a dream.

Just as I was drifting off, I heard a man's thoughts. It was Eric's driver, Bobby. He was thinking that I wasn't anything like the kind of woman he had pictured being Eric's wife. Humph! He could take his opinion and stick it up his nose for all I cared! For a few seconds his thoughts were blank to me. I had 'heard' this before, Eric was glamouring him. Then Bobby thought about his evening: he had stayed home all night and no visitors had come to the house. Crap! Alcide would be the only person who knew I was here. Eric had said people were expecting his wife to arrive soon, right? He didn't mean to keep me down here long, did he? I relaxed a little, until I thought about how easily it would be for him to tell people I was killed when a steamboat boiler exploded or I was set upon by robbers or ran over by a carriage…the possibilities were endless. I lay staring at the ceiling for quite some time.


	21. Blood

SPOV

I awoke in pitch darkness, very disoriented. For a few moments, I thought I was back in the cave. Then I remembered. I fumbled around, finally managing to light the oil lamp. I relaxed my shields, then began looking around for anything in the room that would make a lot of noise. My plan was to listen for people. If anyone was close, I would make as much of a racket as possible in the hope of attracting their attention. Maybe I was too far down to hear. Maybe no one would be able to find the secret passage. But, it was worth a try.

I found some tin plates and beat them on the stone walls, not bad. I washed the best I could and dressed, then chose another wall and started touching stones. About half way through I caught a red snarly brain. Alcide! I banged my pans, yelled… Alcide was getting angry and so was someone else – Bobby. Shortly there were more men, policemen from what I could gather. Soon only Bobby was left and apparently no one heard me. Crap! I'd have to come up with something else.

Two entire walls today and no secret passages and only one loose stone, at the very top of the wall. My fingers were almost raw from the rough stones. When Eric came tonight I would ask him to bring me some books or my sewing. I had never finished making my new dresses; I'd devoted all of my free time to planning my escape. Fat lot of good that had done me! I put my head in my hands and shed a few tears of frustration.

Thoughts caught my attention. Four men were at the door asking Eric for permission to search the house. Policemen? Had Alcide told them I was being held prisoner? They searched for about half an hour. They couldn't' decide if they should believe Alcide, who was adamant a woman was being held prisoner in this house, or Bobby and Eric who both insisted they were the only ones in residence. I made all the noise I possibly could, but I was just too far underground. Crap! Eventually I 'heard' Eric glamour them into believing Alcide was lying to cause Eric problems.

Jangling keys alerted me to Eric's presence. "Hello, Sookie. Are you alone? Was all of that clanging really just you?"

"Yes." He grabbed my hand and looked closely at my sore fingertips and broken nails.

"What have you been doing to yourself?"

"Trying to find a way out," I answered. I figured I might as well tell him the truth.

"Alcide attempted to break into our home today. Luckily Bobby caught him before he could enter and called the police. Alcide is sitting downtown in jail as we speak. With the connections I have made so far, he is looking at six months of hard labor, maybe more." I just stared at him. Alcide didn't belong in jail for attempting to rescue me.

"Will you drop the charges?" I asked.

"That depends on you." I knew it would. I took a deep breath and stood very straight.

"What do you want, Eric?"

"Come here." I stepped closer. He grabbed the collar of my black widow's dress and ripped. I'm embarrassed to say I screamed. I grabbed the material over my left breast and held it in place.

"What are you doing?"

"It was an ugly dress anyway. Give me your hand." I just glared at him. "I promise not to chop it off," he added with a lop sided grin. I rolled my eyes at him and place my hand in his.

Eric's fangs ran out. He pressed the pad of my thumb to a fang, then held my bleeding digit over the scrap of cloth from my dress. Thumbs bleed like crazy; soon blood was dripping all over the piece of material. Eventually he licked the wound, moaning as he did so. Eric's eyes were clouded with lust. Oh my! I stepped back.

"Don't worry, I can control myself," he said with a fangy grin. "Unless you are ready to beg?" I shook my head.

"What are you doing with that?"

"Paying Alcide a little visit when he leaves the jailhouse." Yes, that explanation was perfectly clear. "I will bring your trunk down later," Eric said, one hand on the door. "I enjoyed hunting for all of your secret hiding places. You'll understand if I keep the money?"

I frowned at him. "Can you bring me some books to read?" I asked.

"Bored already? Feel free to amuse yourself, imagining all the ways we will have sex together." If I had had anything in my hand, I would have thrown it at him. Eric laughed as he left the room and locked the door.

EPOV

I waited outside the jail for Alcide to emerge. Another man was with him, a human as far as I could tell.

"Guess who bailed you out?" I asked, stepping out of the shadows and tossing him my blood soaked rag.

Alcide looked at it and pressed it to his nose. "Where is Sookie? This is Sookies' dress and her blood! What have you done to her?" The full moon was only two days off. Poor Alcide was shaking with the effort to refrain from shifting. I wondered if his friend knew he was a werewolf? I thought not.

"What the hell is going on?" the friend asked. I caught him with my eyes and glamoured him into standing quiet and still.

"She will recover," I finally answered Alcide. "If you attempt to break into my home again, I will not be so gentle with her." Alcide looked a little green. "Go back to Shreveport," I ordered. I glamoured his companion into forgetting me and melted back into the shadows.

Once back home, I did some work until I was sure Sookie was asleep. I carried her trunk and a few books down and set them in her room. She looked so peaceful laying there on the small bed. My feelings for this woman concerned me. If I were wise, I would drain her and end it all. I stroked her beautiful blond hair. My mind was made up.


	22. Two Weeks

EPOV

I quickly removed my clothing and slipped in bed beside her. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pulled her close. Sookie snuggled into me and sighed. Bliss. I would not lose her again.

SPOV

I woke the next day disoriented, again. Lighting the lamp, I tried to make a plan for the day. I noticed my trunk and a small stack of books on my night table. Had Eric come down while I was sleeping? I checked all the stones in the remaining wall and the floor. Then I chose a book called Jane Eyre. Was I doomed to be the crazy wife hidden away from the world? Last night I had sworn to myself that I would never beg Eric to have me, but I didn't see any other way out of this cellar. If two weeks passed and Eric didn't relent , I would give in. I valued my life above my pride. Even if I gave Eric my body willingly, it didn't mean he owned me. And I had a much better chance of getting away above ground.

I had just settled down to start sewing on my yellow dress when I heard the jangling of keys. Did the keys really make that much noise, or did Eric rattle them on purpose?

"Good evening, Sookie," he said. "Have you rehearsed your speech?"

I didn't see a reason to respond to that. "Thank you for the books, " I said instead.

"What did you read today?"

"Jane Erye," I answered.

"Do you find Mr. Rochester mysterious and intriguing?" Eric asked, with a twinkle in his eye.

"I've always been interested in dark, brooding men," I teased.

"Not tall, blond, charming ones?"

I looked him over from head to toe, pretending to asses him. "You'll do in a pinch, I suppose." Eric grinned.

"Did you enjoy the book?"

"I think Mr. Rochester should have told Jane the truth from the beginning, even if it was hard for her to hear, " I answered.

"You value the truth?"

"Very much," I answered, with conviction.

"Well, we will begin your education tonight then Sookie."

EPOV

I noticed Sookie's finger tips were raw and sore again. Had she really pressed each stone in her room looking for a way out? I did admire her determination, I just wanted her to use it for my benefit, not against me. Would she run away again the moment I let her out of the cellar?

I decided to tell her about vampires. I explained about silver and stakes and sunlight. I did my best to explain the hierarchy and maker/child relationships. We talked about turning – something Sookie is dead set (ha) against. I purposely did not tell her I could feel her emotions or explain bonding or vampire marriages. Who knew when I would need to pull one of those tricks out of my sleeve? A vampire must have some secrets.

SPOV

My brain was on overload when Eric left. Vampires were awfully complicated! Kings and Queens and makers ordering you around all the time – no wonder Eric thought he could dictate to me. Regardless, I had no intention of being at his beck and call.

The next night Eric arrived with a picnic basket on his arm. "Are you taking me on a picinic?" I asked, hopeful.

"Ready to beg?"

"No," I said, crossing my arms. I would not let him see my cry. He opened the basket and pulled out a tablecloth, plates, glasses, silverware… "What are you doing?" I finally asked.

"Mrs. Northman will need to have impeccable table manners," he answered. " I thought a little practice might be in order."

"You are going to teach me manners?" Eric nodded. "You treat all of your guests to so well," I said, waving my arm around the room.

"Are you alive and unharmed?" Eric asked, his voice suddenly sharp and serious. It was my turn to nod. I got the message – others of his kind would not have been so lenient with me.

After my etiquette lesson, Eric told me about Weres and shifters. Huh. Maybe being a telepath wasn't such an odd thing after all.

EPOV

We did well together when our roles were student and teacher. Sookie was quick and eager to learn. Tomorrow night I would start teaching her some self defense and work up to using a knife. I could trust her not to harm herself with it and she wouldn't cause me any serious harm. When others saw her, they would want her, even without knowing of her telepathy. She needed to know how to handle herself.

Being locked in the basement was beginning to show on her a little – her skin was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes. Surely she would give in before living down there caused any permanent damage. I continued to sneak down about an hour before dawn and crawl in bed bedside her – I looked forward to it every night.

SPOV

I spent several hours one day touching each stone in the ceiling – nothing useful. Most days I read and finished up my dresses. Each night Eric would come and we would practice manners, knife skills, and hand to hand combat. What an interesting combination. One night he even brought down swords. We talked about the supernatural world, the book I was reading, or events happening in St. Louis. Eric told me about the neighbors he had met and the easy pickings at the gambling tables. Once again, I felt myself drawn to him. Giving in wouldn't be so difficult.


	23. Swallowing

SPOV

Tonight was the night I would swallow my pride and beg Eric to let me out of the cellar. Ugh!

"Eric, I've learned my lesson. Please let me out of this cellar," I said when he opened the door. Eric grinned at me.

"Continue."

"I shouldn't have run away and I apologize. Have mercy on me?" I was trying very hard not to gag on the words.

"Continue."

Really? "Can you just tell me what you want to hear and I'll repeat it back to you?" I asked, trying to control my temper. Eric laughed at me. That didn't help my humor one bit.

"Get down on your knees," he instructed. I balled my hands into fists and knelt. He was enjoying this entirely too much.

"Eric, I am yours," he said and I repeated. Could he hear the anger in my voice? "I beg you, enjoy my body and my blood as you see fit." I swallowed a couple of times. Then I crossed my fingers and repeated. Before I knew what happened, I was swept up and we were standing next to his bed.

"Can you take me outside first?" I asked. I may have sounded a little pathetic.

"Of course."

I took a deep breath of fresh air, slipped out of my shoes, and dug my toes in the grass. The night was warm and muggy, but I didn't care. The moon shown down on me and lightning bugs danced across the yard. I smiled. Tomorrow morning I would see the sun! I turned to Eric.

"Alright, let's go." Eric gave me an odd look.

"At least you could fake some enthusiasm." Had I wounded his pride? Surely not. He picked me up and carried me back to his room. It was full of large, dark furniture.

"How do you like our room?" he asked.

"Our room?"

"We are married, are we not?" Eric asked. Oh yeah. "Would you like a bath first?"

"Are you saying I smell? Two weeks in a cellar will do that to a girl, you know." I really was trying to control my temper. Eric's eyes blazed in his face. I thought for a minute he was going to rip off my clothes and throw me down on the bed. Why did that send shivers down my spine?

"Please, " I answered. I assumed saying 'let's just get this over with' would be rude.

EPOV

Sookie hadn't begged to be my lover, she had begged to be released from the cellar. I knew this, and yet I was upset that she wasn't as excited about having sex as I was. I was nearly giddy with anticipation and she was just paying the price for her freedom. Eric Northman didn't blackmail women into his bed. I carried warm water upstairs for her bath and filled the tub in our room.

"I'll give you some privacy. If you want help with your hair, just call me." I sat behind my desk in the library, my feet propped up. I thought about icebergs, zombies, and old men with arthritic knees. What was taking Sookie so long? I could hear her heartbeat coming from our room – she hadn't drown or run away. Just when I stood to check on her, she knocked lightly on the library door and walked inside. If I needed breath, Sookie would have taken it away. She was wearing a simple white cotton gown and had braided her damp hair down her back. Icebergs, zombies, old men…

"I'm ready," Sookie said simply. I walked to her and gently stroked her cheek.

"Would you like to go outside again?" I asked. She looked at me and swallowed.

"I would rather not have sex outside," she responded. I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her close.

"Let's find a robe for you and we can sit on the porch. Would you like something to eat or drink?" I had completely forgotten about feeding her.

"Eric," she said, looking up into my eyes, " I appreciate you being sweet to me, but can we just do this before I lose my nerve."

Such a romantic, my Sookie.


	24. Questions

SPOV

Why was Eric stalling? Did he not want me anymore?

"Sit," he said, motioning towards a rocking chair on the porch. He pulled a matching one to face me. "Let's play a little game. I get to ask you five questions and you answer honestly. Then we can go inside and enjoy ourselves." He actually licked his lips as he said the last bit.

"Do I also get to ask you five questions?"

"We can take turns," Eric said. "I'll even let you go first." Hmmm.

"This ability you have to track me, is it permanent?" He hesitated. I must have asked a very good question.

"No. If you don't take any more of my blood, the connection will weaken and eventually I will no longer be able to track you." I was doing my imitation of the Cheshire Cat. "Why did you come to my bed in Shreveport?" Eric asked. My grin faded – I really didn't want to answer that question. I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts.

"I cannot bear to have a human man touch me, the thoughts transmit too easily. You are silent to me and attractive and I like you. Just once, I wanted to know how it felt to be a real woman."

"You are certainly a real woman, Sookie. I seem to remember that you even managed to enjoy yourself, several times," Eric responded with a fangy grin.

"I didn't hear any complaints from you," I said.

"None whatsoever." Eric took my hand in his. "If tonight is too soon for you, I'll wait. We make a good team, you and I. I don't want you to start resenting me," said the man who kept me locked in the cellar for two weeks. We just stared at each other for a while.

"Next question," Eric said abruptly.

"What excuse have you given to explain that you only are about at night?"

"I have told anyone who would listen that I do not stir during day light hours. I am up until the wee hours of the morning gambling, drinking, and chasing women and can't be bothered to see the sun."

"Now that I am here, you won't be having relations with other women," I said sternly.

"I won't brag about it."

"Not the same, Eric. It's bad enough you were fooling around while I was closing up our old house. Now you want to shame me in front of all the neighbors! They will think I am not woman enough to keep you home."

Eric smiled. "You are jealous, pretend wife?"

"Per our agreement , I will answer honestly, though it pains me. Yes, I am jealous." Eric looked a little shocked.

"That wasn't one of my questions!"

"It was certainly a question." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Do not make me wait too long for your attentions," Eric said. "An attractive man like myself has needs." Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"What does it mean when you say I am yours?"

"It means that no other vampire can feed from you or have sex with you without my permission."

"If you think you are passing me around, you've got another thing coming!" My voice may have risen an octave or two.

Eric had the gall to chuckle. "I have no intention of sharing."

"What part of my body do you admire most?" he asked. Really? Why is he wasting his question? Vain at all, Eric?

"Your bottom." He raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak, then quickly closed it.

"I am pleased, but surprised." I couldn't help but laugh.

"How long would you have kept me in the cellar if I hadn't given in?"

"If your health had started to decline, I would have brought you upstairs." That was somewhat evasive.

"Do you prefer my hand or my mouth between your legs?" Eric asked. What? What kind of questions was that? I did feel slightly turned on – guess that was the point. "Be honest."

"Mouth."

"Do you care for me?" I asked. Eric looked around. Was he making sure that no one overheard? He had a rather pained expression on his face.

"Yes, but it could be dangerous for both of us if other vampires knew that." I'll bet he was embarrassed when he mom kissed him in front of his friends too.

"Are you planning to run away again?" Eric asked me. He was saving a good question for last also.

"I don't have any plans at the moment," I answered with a smug smile. He wasn't the only one that could be evasive.

"Well, are we having sex or are we snuggling?" Eric asked. He said snuggling like it was a disgusting habit. Wasn't that question #6 anyway?

Sex with Eric was amazing. "I get to choose?" I asked. He nodded. "If I say no, are there consequences?"

"Only snuggling." He made a face this time. I couldn't help but laugh.

I pulled on his hand and he stood. "Let's snuggle afterward," I said with what I hoped was a 'come and get it' smile. I took off running towards the bedroom. Of course Eric caught up with me. I shrieked as he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Bring back memories?" he asked, patting me on the bottom. Then the pat turned into more of a stroke.

**I know this story will have at least one more chapter, but beyond that I am not sure. My muse has been rather evasive lately. I'm going on vacations this week - we'll see if some rest and relaxation (four days in the van with my husband and three children ages 7 and under) inspires me. :) Thanks for reading and for all of your reviews!**


	25. Always

EPOV

I arrived home with almost two hours until dawn. Hmm. What could Sookie and I do to pass the time? I grin covered my face as I stepped into the hall and noticed a note on the table.

_Wake me._

_S_

Yes Ma'am. I began undressing as I walked upstairs to our room. I was down to my underwear and one sock when my beautiful wife came into view, the moonlight spilling onto her hair. We have been together for over twenty years . I ran a hand through her hair, now gently shot with gray. She worries that there will come a day when I no longer want her because of the gray in her hair and the wrinkles on her face. Silly woman. I've tried to explain to her that I will always want her. Before our last move she told me, trying hard to be brave, that if I wanted to tell others I was her son instead of her husband, she could live with that. I told her incest was frowned upon, even in northern Lousiana. She had laughed and let it go.

We've made it through some difficult times, Sookie and I. A little over a year after we moved to St. Louis, Sookie's gran took sick and Sookie went back to Bon Temps to care for her. I told her when she left to hurry back, I would miss her every night.

"If I don't return, will you track me down and lock me in the cellar?" Sookie asked. I shook my head.

"Don't come back because you are afraid, come back because you love me." Could I have really given her up that easily? Luckily she came back all on her own.

We spent eight wonderful years in St. Louis. I invested well, Sookie made some good friends. People were beginning to wonder why I didn't age when I finally decided it was time to go. I dreaded talking to Sookie about leaving.

"Sookie, it is time to move on." She looked at me with huge, sad eyes.

"Please don't leave me." I just looked at her.

"You want to come?" I asked. I breathed a sigh of relief. I worried that she would want to stay behind with her home and her friends. I promised myself I would give her the option. "If you wish to stay in St. Louis, we could fake my death and you could play the grieving widow. Missouri property laws will let you keep everything."

"I don't want the house or your money, I want you." Foolish girl. She was all I really wanted also.

We moved north to Dubuque, Iowa for a few years, then onto Minneapolis. Sookie complained about the cold, but I wanted to avoid the war being fought in the southern states. We enjoyed some very long winter nights in front of the fire. Like St. Louis, Iowa and Minnesota were fairly calm places for a vampire to live. With so many immigrants, there were plenty of people to feed from. I am far older than any American vampires and the old ones from Europe knew my reputation and left me alone. Of course all good things must come to an end. Sophie Anne sent for me. After the war and the disaster that was reconstruction, she needed someone strong to be the sheriff of northern Louisiana. If I were a little less selfish, I would have left Sookie behind this time.

"Eric?" she whispered, looking up at me.

"Expecting someone else in your bedroom?" I asked with a grin. She laughed.

"How was sheriffing?"

"How was the Ladies Hospital Aid Society meeting?"

"We planned most of our spring fundraiser and started making decorations for the tables. Then Maybelle brought out the mint juleps…" Sookie wasn't much of a drinker, but some of these 'ladies' were.

"Did Helen fall out of her chair again?" I asked.

"No, but she had to be helped into her carriage to go home. " Sookie grinned then looked at me full on. "You didn't answer my question about tonight."

"Two new vampires checked in and I staked one named Mickey." That got her attention. I handed out punishments regularly, but rarely anything so severe.

"What did he do?"

"Took another vampire's human and killed her." Raped her until she bled to death. A vampire that bad could not be allowed to walk around.

"You are frightened," Sookie, my wife and bonded said softly, stroking my cheek. "Are you afraid of repercussions?"

"No, just afraid that someone will harm you." She was so fragile. "Let me turn you."

Sookie shook her head. "I love you, but I don't want to be a vampire." This was not a new discussion. Truthfully I loved having a human companion, warm and delicious. When I left my bar tonight, I was determined to turn her, even against her will. But when I saw her…I changed my mind like so many times before. Would she hate me if I turned her? Would I miss her soft, warm skin?

"Someday you will change your mind," I said. Wishful thinking, Northman. If only I had turned her that first night.

"I am getting too old anyway."

"You have met the Ancient Pythoness?"

"Don't you dare turn me when I am that old!" We both laughed and I kissed her. Soon her soft blue gown and my remaining clothes were tossed to the side. Then I was inside her. Heaven. We found our rhythm. Sookie was so close, digging her nails into my skin. Then I bit her shoulder – her sweet, delicious blood in my mouth- and we both were lost to the moment.

"Worth it?" Sookie asked.

"Hmm?"

"Did you get your money's worth?" Ahhh. She was worth every ounce of gold I paid for her, and then some.

"An incredible bargain," I whispered, cupping her breast, stroking her nipple with my thumb. Sookie moaned. "Mine." She moved, pushing me on my back. Sookie, straddled me and ran a finger down my chest.

"Mine," she whispered. "Always." Who was I to disagree?

**I did not abandon my story - completely. Hope you enjoy this last chapter. **


End file.
